General MacArthur's Packard - Very Cool......

I've been buying up all the back issues of Special Interest Autos magazine I can get my hands on lately. They're like the Dead Sea Scrolls for automotive history geeks like me, and they're not very expensive on ebay. This article seemed like it might be interesting for a select group of TCLers. Packard was the world's first automaker to offer factory air-conditioned cars to the public, in 1940, and this Clipper that the General used in the Pacific Theatre had this then-rare and exclusive feature, among others just for him. I love it that he wrote a check for the car and sent it to Detroit, but Packard returned it to him, uncashed. Kind of classy on both parts. Enjoy!

This is how a Clipper looked "out of uniform":

Do you enjoy old cars and long-winded stories about them? If your answer is "yes", then you might enjoy my blogpage. Try it here: http://vwlarry.blogspot.com . Leave a comment, too; I love feedback! Thanx for reading.

Thanks for posting this. I haven't looked into that publication; I like getting my hands on 70's and 80's CAR, Car and Driver, R&T, etc and I get into the personal interest and specialty stories. The photography on R&T Salon has always been outstanding as well; can't tell what year the photos are from. I'm also a history buff (with the worthless piece of paper to prove it). I find it fascinating that this car followed MacArthur around during the war; I assumed he was into Jeeps and PT Boats.

Any idea how well the A/C did or did not work? I didn't realize A/C was available this early; I kind of thought we were talking mid 1950's before it existed. I've got to assume that sucker could freeze you out on old school Freon.

22691
"I'm trying to live vicariously through jrod here and my vicarious
life would be better if he had a twin turbo. Or a ****ing pirate
ship." nm+

Thanks for posting this. I haven't looked into that publication; I like getting my hands on 70's and 80's CAR, Car and Driver, R&T, etc and I get into the personal interest and specialty stories. The photography on R&T Salon has always been outstanding as well; can't tell what year the photos are from. I'm also a history buff (with the worthless piece of paper to prove it). I find it fascinating that this car followed MacArthur around during the war; I assumed he was into Jeeps and PT Boats.

Any idea how well the A/C did or did not work? I didn't realize A/C was available this early; I kind of thought we were talking mid 1950's before it existed. I've got to assume that sucker could freeze you out on old school Freon.

MacArthur was very fond of the trappings of power, and being chauffered around in a big Packard was right up his alley. The A/C in these cars, judging by the A/C in the cars I occasionally got to ride in when I was a kid (a few GM and AMC relative's cars from the late fifties and sixties had factory air) was probably "arctic" to the point where it might have become uncomfortable, since the refinements of temperature regulation had not been fully developed yet. In fact, on the first Packard air conditioned cars, the compressor belt had to be removed to turn the damned thing off. There was no electro-magnetic clutch to disengage the pulley.

Do you enjoy old cars and long-winded stories about them? If your answer is "yes", then you might enjoy my blogpage. Try it here: http://vwlarry.blogspot.com . Leave a comment, too; I love feedback! Thanx for reading.

probably "arctic" to the point where it might have become uncomfortable, since the refinements of temperature regulation had not been fully developed yet. In fact, on the first Packard air conditioned cars, the compressor belt had to be removed to turn the damned thing off. There was no electro-magnetic clutch to disengage the pulley.

God, that was designed for me. I want icy bits of air hitting me.

22691
"I'm trying to live vicariously through jrod here and my vicarious
life would be better if he had a twin turbo. Or a ****ing pirate
ship." nm+

Wait, is that not the car that this thread was originally about, my daily caffiene supply is running low at this hour.

If anyone likes old cars, old planes, 1940's fashion and music, WWII, or the sound of a 70 year old warbird turning AV Gas into sonic pleasure, or any combination of said things, you've got to check out this show. It's HUGE

22691
"I'm trying to live vicariously through jrod here and my vicarious
life would be better if he had a twin turbo. Or a ****ing pirate
ship." nm+

Wait... uhhhh yes you are right. It is late and my contacts are blurry

If anyone likes old cars, old planes, 1940's fashion and music, WWII, or the sound of a 70 year old warbird turning AV Gas into sonic pleasure, or any combination of said things, you've got to check out this show. It's HUGE

Agreed. Huge is the only way to describe it. I might get the fiance out to the swing dances they have on Friday and Saturday night.